Functional article of furniture



July 2, 1957 D. P. ALEXANDER FUNCTIONAL ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1954 INVENTOR. .DMa/c/ Alexander ATTOfi/VEK y 1957 D. P. ALEXANDER 2,797,734

' FUNCTIONAL ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Feb. 1.5, 1954 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Dana/d A/amaaer United States Patent Cfifice 2,797,734 Patented July 2, 1957 FUNCTIONAL ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Donald P. Alexander, Lawrence, Kans. Application February 15, 1954, SerialNo. 410,321

'2 Claims. Cl. 155-41 This invention relates to improvements in functional furniture, the primary object being to provide a multipurpose article of furniture capable of inexpensive ly presenting in a single unit a plurality of different types of "furniture depending upon the desires of the user.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide an article of furniture which, from the standpoint of the manufacturer and/ or dealer, permits merchandising of an entire assembly or parts thereof depending upon the desires of the purchaser.

Another important object of the instant invention is to provide functional furniture that is relatively inexpensive, yet attractive, and exceptionally strong, there being included a number of parts that may be packaged and shipped in a condensed form and readily assembled by unskilled workmen such as the home owner himself.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention the article of furniture has a basic unit which consists of a frame provided with legs and a cushion mounted on the frame in such manner as to adapt the same for use as an ottoman. By simply adding a backing member to the frame and utilizing a back rest, the ottoman can be converted into an armless chair.

Another unit also serving as a backing member for the back rest may be employed to present an arm rest for the chair. Still further, a single framework provides a pair of arm rests integrally joined with the backing member.

Details of construction include novel interconnections between the arm rests and the frame, as well as for the backing member; a manner of preventing lateral displacement of the cushion relative to the frame; the way in which legs are provided for the frame through use of gussets at the corners thereof; and the manner in which the back rest itself it made from a .pair of articulated sections so that it may serve other purposes as will hereinafter be made clear.

In the drawings: 7 v

1 Figure '1 .is a. front perspective view of a functional article of furniture made pursuant to the present inven tion, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an ottoman made by simply eliminating certain parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the article of furniture with but one arm rest.

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view like Figs. 2 and 4, but eliminating both arm rests.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of one corner of the frame showing a leg-supporting gusset.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the back rest in an inverted position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, perspective view illustrating the use of a plurality of extended back rests.

Fig. 9 is an inverted plan view showing one manner of making the cushion.

I Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing a modified form of cushion.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged, elevational view of one of the several socket elements 'on the frame; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line XII-XII of Fig. 11.

The various articles of furniture shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, all utilize a polygonal, preferably four-sided frame broadly designated by the numeral 14 that is continuous and L-shaped in transverse cross-section presenting a horizontal flange 16, and a vertical peripheral flange 18 depending therefrom. Frame 14 should be rigid and, therefore, a suitable lightweight metallic material is suggested.

A V-sh'aped leg 20 made from rod stock is provided for the frame 14 at each corner thereof. Substantially U-shaped gussets 22 at the corners of the frame 14 secured to the flange 18 by fasteners 24, mount the legs 20 to the frame 14. Legs 20 may be attached to their gussets 22 in any suitable manner such as by welding.

Frame 14 "supports a cushion 26 and the latter is preferably held against lateral shifting with respect to the frame 14 by suitable means engaging within the corners of the horizontal flanges 16. In Fig. 9 of the drawings there is illustrated a panel 28 secured to the lowermost face of the cushion 26 and fitting snugly within the frame 14 in engagement with the innermost edge of the continuous flange 16. In Fig. 10 of the drawings a substantially L-shaped plate 30 is shown secured to the lowermost face of cushion 26. A corner-engaging plate 30 may be provided for each of the four corners of the frame 14 if desired.

With the construction thus far described, it is obvious that there is presented an article of furniture such as that shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and which may be used as an ottoman or for any other desired purpose.

If, on the other hand, it is desired to convert the ottoman of Fig. 3 into an armless chair such as shown in Fig. 5, then a back rest 32 is employed. Additionally, a backingmember 34 is utilized to retain the back rest 32 in place. Backing member 34 as shown in Fig. 5 'of the drawings, is U-shaped, presenting a horizontal bight 36 and a .pair of legs 38 and 40 depending from the bight 36. The legs 38 and 40 extend into a pair of socket elements 42secu'redto 'rearmost length 18a of flange 18 by fastening means 44. A suitable stop such as an inwardly stamped ear 46, .is provided to limit the extent of downward movement of the legs 38 and 40. It is seen in Figs. 11 and 12 that the tubular legs 38 and 40 are readily removable from within the socket elements 42.

If, on the other hand, it is desired to present a chair or the-like having an arm rest, the backing member 34 is Eremovedand a similar type of backing mer'n'ber 134 (is provided (Fig. 4). Bight 136 of member 134 is extended in one direction as at 148 to integrally receive an L-shaped arm rest 150. The rest 150 has a horizontal arm 152 and a vertical arm 154. Arm 154 fits within a socket element 142 taking the same form as the socket elements 42, but releasably attached to a side stretch 18b of the flange 18. An elongated panel 156 releasably secured to the arm 152 adds to the attractiveness of the unit.

Legs 138 and of backing element 134 extend into socket elements 42 in the same manner as above described with respect to legs 38 and 40.

In Figs. 1 and 2 on the other hand, there is illustrated a chair of the same general character but having instead, a pair of arm rests 250 and 258 provided with supporting panels 256 and 260 respectively. The L-shaped rest 250 has a horizontal arm 252 and a vertical arm 254, the latter of which extends into socket element 142 on the flange length 18b. Rest 258 has a horizontal arm 262 and a vertical arm 264, the latter of which fits into .a socket element (not shown) on side stretch 180 of flange 18.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the form of the invention illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 employs a backing element 234 having an extension 248 on its bight 236 that is joined integrally with therearrn'ost end of arm 252. An extension 266 on the'bight 234 and in opposed relationship to the extension 248, is joined integrally without use of any tools whatsoever once the various socket elements are secured to the flange 18.

A love seat may be provided by an arrangement utilizing a pair of chair ections such as shown in Fig. 4, arranged in side-by-side relationship.

A sectional davenport may be provided through use of an armless chair, as shown in Fig. 5, with one of the units as shown in Fig. 4 on each side respectively thereof.

Still further, there may be presented a bed by using three or more of the units as shown in Fig. 3, and arranged in end-to-end relationship. A lamp table or the like may be placed between a pair of the chairs modified as shown in Fig. 4 or, through use of the chair shown in Figs. 1 and 2, together with the ottoman illustrated in Fig. 3, there may be presented a chaise longue. At any time when two or more units are used side-by-side, the frames 14 thereof may be interconnected by use of suitable fastening elements passing through the various holes provided in the flange 18 for mounting the socket elements after removal from the flange 18.

To further functionalize the furniture thus far described, the back rest 32 is made of a pair of identical articulated sections 32a and 32b. The sections 32a and 32b may be hingedly interconnected in any suitable manner such as by extending the cloth covering entirely across the uppermost face 320 of the rest 32. In normal use in the manner illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the sections 32a and 32 are joined by a slide fastener 32d along the lowermost edge of the rest 32. Thus, by release of the slide fastener 32d, the sections 32a and 32b may be extended to a flat condition and thereupon used as a fireside cushion or the like.

Still further, a number of the rests 32 may be interconnected as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings through use of the slide fasteners 32d to present another bed or sun pad broadly designated by the numeral 268.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an article of furniture, a polygonal frame having a downturned flange at the rearmost edge thereof and along both side edges thereof; a pair of spaced socket elements mounted on the flange of said rearmost edge; a U-shaped backing member having a horizontal bight and a pair of legs depending from the bight, the lowermost ends of the legs extending into the socket elements; a pair of L-shaped rests each having a horizontal arm and a vertical arm; a socket element on the flange of each side edge receiving the vertical arm of a corresponding rest; and opposite extensions on said bight respectively integral with the horizontal arms.

2. An article of functional furniture comprising a substantially rectangular frame having a front, a rear, a pair of sides and four corners, said frame defining a substantially rectangular opening; a ground-engaging leg for each corner respectively; means securing the legs to the frame adjacent corresponding corners of the latter for supporting the frame in a substantially horizontal disposition; a cushion separate from the frame and removably resting thereon; structure depending from the cushion and extending through said opening of the frame adjacent the corners of the latter for limiting lateral displacement of the cushion relative to the frame; a substantially U-shaped element having a substantially horizontal bight and a pair of substantially horizontal arms; a first substantially vertical post secured to the bight and depending therefrom intermediate the extremities of the latter; a second substantially vertical post secured to one of said arms and depending therefrom at the extremity of the latter remote from the bight; a third substantially vertical post secured to the other of said arms and depending therefrom at the extremity of the latter remote from the bight; a socket assembly for each post respectively releasably receiving and holding the lowermost extremity of a corresponding post; means releasably securing the assembly for said first post on the rear of the frame, the assembly for said second post on one side of the frame, and the assembly for said third post on the other side of the frame; and a back separate from the cushion and removably resting on the latter in engagement with the bight and between the arms of the element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,370 Richards Aug. 20, 1929 2,131,609 Alexander Sept. 27, 1938 2,184,677 McKay Dec. 26, 1939 2,247,720 Wonderly July 1, 1941 2,466,226 Gilbertie Apr. 5, 1949 2,508,177 Levine May 16, 1950 2,509,395 Madan May 30, 1950 2,528,768 Marsh Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 482,270 Canada Apr. 8, 1952 

